Preset Message Rendering Flow

When a notification is sent, Notification Center determines which message template to use by evaluating the preset and its configuration layers. The system merges the applicable templates to produce the final notification message. This process is the same for all destination types and entity types.

How Notification Center builds a message

Notification Center follows a defined rendering order to construct the final message:

1. The notification request is received from an entity such as an alert or case.
2. Routing determines the destination (connector + preset).
3. The system identifies whether the selected preset is a system preset or a custom preset.
4. The preset’s general layer provides the default message template.
5. If an override layer exists for the entity subtype, it replaces the sections defined in the general layer.
6. Notification Center renders the merged template using dynamic values from the entity and system context.
7. The completed message is sent to the destination.

Dynamic data sources

During rendering, Notification Center populates templates using data from the notification payload.

Data source	Description
Entity data	Information specific to the alert or case, such as name, severity, and trigger time.
System context	Metadata available through the _context variable, including account details, region, and system identifiers.
Destination configuration	Optional values from the connector, such as service names or webhook URLs.

See Dynamic Templating for supported variables and syntax.

Example rendering scenarios

Next steps

• Preset creation flows: Create system-based or fully custom presets
• Dynamic templating: Add dynamic fields and logic to your templates
• Presets overview: Revisit preset layers to keep your templates organized